Otakon 22’ Recap - From Cosplay to K-Pop Concerts
Since 2017, Otakon has been held in Washington, D.C. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Previously it was located at the Baltimore Convention Center but relocated due to growing numbers. This year’s three day event was held July 29-31 and according to Otakon reports, there was a 56 percent increase in unique memberships from last year, with 25,545. There were a total of 40,000 memberships in attendance this year. Otakon is run by volunteers under the non-profit Otakorp, Inc. Attendees are called members and upon purchasing a ticket, or badge, they gain membership into Otakon. Prior to entry, members were required to present a mask and either a vaccination card or negative PCR test.
Beginning in 1994, Otakon has been an annual anime and cosplay staple. It is a way for like-minded fans to come together and appreciate multiple aspects of Eastern Asian popular culture. There is a Formal Ball, dancing, Hiro’s Lounge, live action role playing (LARPing), a Maid Cafe, Manga Library, Otacafe, Gaming Hall, Masquerade, concerts, panels, salon, photo suite, workshops, Artist Alley, Dealers’ Hall, movies, shows, and more.
Among this year’s guests were voice actors, video game composers, K-Pop artists, TikTok creators, anime producers, and more. The wide variety of roles offered fans with a range of interests to come. Among the guests, I was able to interview voice actor Beau Billingslea, Zanybros producer, marketer, and director Angelina Foss, Infinitize CEO Jenny Zha, co-founder of Zanybros, Junhong Kim, K-Pop artists PIXY and Rolling Quartz, video game composers Harumi Fujita and Takahiro Izutani, and CNET social media producer and journalist Lai Frances.
Guests held panels, questions and answers, autograph sessions, and games with Otakon members. More information on guests and each interview will be detailed in each respective post.
Interviewing members, most stated they loved how there was something for everyone. Some came for specific guests such as King Chris, while others wanted to explore East Asian pop culture and cosplay with fellow fans. One person I spoke to came from Philadelphia with his daughter and her friends. They played Dance Dance Revolution in the Gaming Hall and were on their way to Artist Alley. The father said it was nice to be there with his daughter as they both were fans of anime.
A highlight of the event was Friday Night K-Pop featuring PIXY, Rolling Quartz, and AleXa. VIP passes had sold out far in advance; @Otakonpics Instagram account announced it back on July 20, but reserved seating still remained. This was PIXY and Rolling Quartz’s first time performing in the United States. AleXa had already won NBC’s American Song Contest earlier this year with her hit song Wonderland. Many fans in the front row had multi-colored glow in the dark wands which read “AleXa” and waved them throughout the show. Lai Frances was the concert’s MC and her humor and ability to connect with the crowd had the room roaring with laughter. She not only interacted with the audience, but also the stage manager, camera crews, and stage hands, asking people how far they came for Otakon and reminding everyone to stay hydrated.
For the actual show, PIXY’s choreography was phenomenal, with all five members in perfect sync with each other. Their stage presence was powerful against the neon screen behind them, and their fans, known as Winxy, loved it. Next up was Rolling Quartz, who played their own instruments and covered My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Skid Row and performed many of their own songs. Headliner was AleXa who, like the other performers, had nonstop energy. Her set was split in half with two outfits and backup dancers.
The second night held a Masquerade in the upstairs ballrooms which began with a cosplay show on stage. After, there were 25 individuals and groups that danced, sang, reenacted anime and video game scenes, played musical instruments, and more. Each group was creative and it would be impossible to anticipate what they were going to do next. For the finale of Masquerade, cosplays were given awards rated on experience. One award went to a person that made their entire outfit from scratch - including cobbling their own leather shoes.
An important note of conventions such as Otakon is that many cosplayers create their own costumes. They find patterns online or make their own. They stitch, knit, cobble, sew, find any means possible to put together their clothing and accessories and that is what makes their outfits unique. Some people will even cosplay as two to four different characters at one convention. There is also acting behind the crafting. Many cosplayers are able to act the part of the character they are dressed as and pose like them for photos. Otakon is a great example of people being able to cosplay, network, and see other people’s costumes and the hard work that went into them. It is also a place for like-minded people to come together and enjoy East Asian pop culture, and there is certainly something for fans there.
Photos in order: Rolling Quartz; Otakon July 29 from second floor; @soapy_avocado as Ahri; Takahiro Izutani and Harumi Fujita; Rolling Quartz; PIXY; AleXa; @mxxhie as Lisa Lisa; @adler.v2 as a tactical operator; @ririenko as Klee
